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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: club · rock · bowl · safe · bat · wind · row · bear

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bat — the animal
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. club — a group
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. row — a line
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bear — the animal
  15. club — for dancing
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. rock — a stone
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. row — to paddle
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. rock — music
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. club — for golf

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com